Best Free Virtual Escape Rooms for Schools

Locked touch screen phone lying on a blue illuminated keyboard.

(Image credit: Getty Images/400tmax)

Virtual escape rooms are a form of gamified learning that incorporates riddles, puzzles, math, logic, and literacy skills to create an exciting adventure in education. Students demonstrate their skills and knowledge in order to unlock each level, eventually earning their liberation. Some escape rooms are one-page affairs, while others weave an intricate backstory to enthrall players. Many also offer hints when an incorrect answer is given, thereby encouraging kids to persevere until success is achieved.

There’s no charge for any of these virtual escape rooms, so feel free to free yourself, for free!

Best Free Virtual Escape Rooms for Schools

AGE 6 AND UP

Pikachu's Rescue (opens in new tab)
Pikachu the Pokemon has disappeared! Has he been abducted? Enter the Pokemon fantasy world to rescue Pikachu. You will need speed, cunning and bravery to dodge the Spearow who are determined to stop you.

Escape the Fairy Tale (opens in new tab)
The original Goldilocks and the Three Bears fairy tale doesn’t include morse code. But this escape room version does—as well as a magic portal to return home. Great fun for young learners.

Virtual Escape Rooms For Kids (opens in new tab)
A collection of 13 free virtual escape rooms with themes that kids will enjoy, from Summer Virtual Escape Room to Girl Scout Cookie Virtual Escape Room. Holiday-themed escape rooms such as Elf on the Shelf and New Year’s Eve are perfect for seasonal applications.

Pete the Cat and the Birthday Party Mystery (opens in new tab)
Pete the Cat is having a birthday party and you’re invited. You’re having a great time playing pin the tail on the donkey when you notice that the gift you brought for Pete is missing. Oh no! Not to worry--follow the clues to help you find it.

Hogwarts Digital Escape Room (opens in new tab)
Take a virtual trip to the land of Harry Potter, where an odd slender, black rectangle invites visitors to open it. Witches, wizards, magical maps, and Muggles abound in this entertaining and educational puzzle.

AGE 11 AND UP

Create a Virtual Escape Room (opens in new tab)
Customize your lesson plans with bespoke virtual escape rooms that you create yourself, using Google Sites, Canva [https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-canva-and-how-does-it-work-for-education], Jamboard [https://www.techlearning.com/features/how-to-use-google-jamboard-for-teachers] and Google Forms [https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-google-forms-and-how-can-it-be-used-by-teachers].

The Epic Olympic Escape (opens in new tab)
This colorful Olympic-themed escape room is simple but surprisingly tricky. With no instructions provided, students must carefully observe the letters, colors, and images to determine the keys to the five locks.

Space Explorer Training -- Digital Escape Room (opens in new tab)
You are an astronaut exploring the galaxy, with a star map as your guide. Follow the navigation clues to your cosmic destination.

Spy Apprentice Digital Escape Room (opens in new tab)
Investigate an international mystery in the multiplayer Spy Apprentice Digital Escape Room. Read the intriguing backstory, then take a crack at unlocking the doors. Feeling stuck? No problem–check the “hint” box.

Escape the Sphinx (opens in new tab)
Ciphers, riddles, crossword puzzles, and snide commentary from an ancient relic enliven this “puzzling” game. An excellent challenge for those who love solving brain teasers.

The Minotaur's Labyrinth Escape Room (opens in new tab)
What’s better than a modern virtual escape room based on the oldest escape room of all, the labyrinth? As you navigate the twists, turns, and blind alleys, carefully observe the ancient images and symbols to gain your freedom.